The Bellmaker Sequel
by Anita2
Summary: A story written a few seasons after the close of "The Bellmaker"; contains innocent Mariel/Dandin romance that will never surpass PG. The up-to-date version of this story is available at http://pub80.ezboard.com/bredwall58860. If I get some positive feedb


The rain washed down the windows of the gatehouse. Huge forbidding clouds, heavy with moisture, raced across the sky to a symphony of thunder. Nobeast could be seen on any of the roads that wound through Mossflower, or even inside the walls of the quaint, red-bricked fortresses known to woodlanders as Redwall Abbey.  
  
Inside the gatehouse at Redwall an old hedgehog was attempting to teach early Mossflower history to a small, unruly group of abbey young ones. Slowly he turned from the large map of Mossflower country tacked to the wall, to the young scholars.  
  
"All right, who can narrate to me briefly the life of Abbess Hedwig and the role she played in the history of our Abbey? Thomas?"  
  
Thomas, the young mouse in question, was staring out at the pouring rain, lids at half-mast, mouth slightly ajar, his cheek resting heavily on his paw. He made no answer, for, indeed, he had not heard the question. The hedgehog sighed. Turning from the inert mouse to the rest of the group, he took a swift inventory. What he noted was not good. Three mice and a fat little mole had followed Thomas's example and were gazing fixedly at nothing at all, two of the voles were leaning back in their seats, snoring gently, and one mischievous hare was silently engaged in pinning poor Cornelia Churchmouse's sash to the back of her seat.  
  
The old hedgehog, after silently relieving the little hare of his pin, cleared his throat for attention . "Since it is raining and all of you so obviously have no interest in Mossflower history, I have decided that there should be a change in schedule." The wrinkles in his face deepened as he grinned. "Who's for a story?"  
  
The change in the atmosphere of the room was instantaneous. Immediately everybeast's head was up off their desks and most had a story suggestion. Laughing, the hedgehog attempted to restore order.  
  
"Tell a story 'bout a battle!"  
  
"A quest! With a villain!"  
  
"Tell us about the fire mountain!"  
  
"Burr, no, purlese zurr, we'me hurrd 'bout Salamandascone a hundret toimes. Not et agin!"  
  
One quiet, well-mannered little badger spoke up. "Tell us about Mariel the Gullwhacker and Dandin."  
  
This suggestion met with general approval.  
  
"Mariel the Warriormaid!"  
  
"Burr, oi loikes hur an' Dindin better'n a ole foire mownting."  
  
The hedgehog chuckled. He had been as bored as the young ones, and was glad for any excuse to tell one of his famous stories. " Hush, little ones! I can tell you about Mariel and Dandin, Salamandastron, a battle, a quest, and a villain all in one story. Mind, it's a long one."  
  
"We like long stories!"  
  
"More's the better!"  
  
"Aye, and no lessons! Hurrah!"  
  
"All right then," the hedgehog told them. "Be quiet, everybeast. Here goes."  
  
~~~  
  
Far down the road from Redwall, across Mossflower woods, past the great fire-mountain of Salamandastron, then turning north across river and field and forest, all the way at the opposite coast of the country, lay the cliffs of Cortala. They were barren and craggy, with a rocky, uneven top, and a long, perilous drop down to the shore. Huge, cold, white-capped waves pounded against the lusterless sand. The sea in the north had not the blue- green sparkle of the south. When the sun shone, which it rarely did, the water would show a few tints of brownish-green, but mostly it was just gray. From the cliffs of Cortala, all one could view from shore to horizon was gray.  
  
Unless one knew what they were looking for, nobeast could have found safe port for three ships among the cliffs. Even close up, they were sheer, with not even a safe tie-up for one vessel, much less three.  
  
But Sankara Verima, daughter of a famed corsair, had known what she was looking for. She had found the tiny, pocket-like caves, which no corsair had ever been able to find. Within three seasons, she had caused a fortress to be built in the face of the cliffs, mustered an immense horde, and enlarged her fleet to six. Six, the number of the Devil, the sign of evil, and Sankara Verima's symbol of power.  
  
Sankara was quite tall, though she was far younger than most of those she commanded . She was very beautiful, with smooth dark fur and a graceful, firm, rolling walk that betrayed her upbringing on a shifting deck. She held herself very straight, and wore only a simple tunic and trousers, her sole ornaments being a slim silver pendant at her throat, and a sharp, jeweled dagger belted at her side.  
  
But it was her eyes that were her key to power…  
  
They were large and slightly tilted, with long lashes that swept her cheeks. They were a deep blue, as rich a blue as the southern seas from whence she came. When she smiled, they sparkled and shone. It was whispered that she could trap your will and make it her own simply by looking at you with those deep blue eyes. These fears had proof, too. When she looked, smiling, at her enemies, they did exactly as she told them, handing her their fortunes and surrendering. They reasoned that nobeast with eyes like that was capable of betrayal.  
  
They were wrong. Betrayal was Sankara's middle name.  
  
As she killed those self-same enemies, she smiled her smile, singing softly to herself as she watched them die.  
  
Sankara's smile was the very symbol of evil.  
  
~~~  
  
"Wake up, you silly, dozy softbeast!"  
  
Mariel Gullwhacker nudged her still-sleeping companion with one footpaw and sighed heavily. Taking a flask of pear cordial from the haversack strapped to her back, she poured it liberally on the face of the peacefully snoring mouse, and giggled as he jerked awake, sneezing and spluttering.  
  
"All right, all right, I'm up! See?" Dandin heaved himself to his feet with a little groan, wiping juice off of his face with the edge of his sleeve. "Actually, I was awake ages ago, long before you. I was only closing my eyes a bit while I waited for you to awaken from your hundred year snooze, Sleeping Beauty!"  
  
Mariel snorted. "If you were half as bad a fighter as you are a fibber, we'd both be dead by now. Come on. Time and Periwinkle wait for no mouse. In the message Father sent he said he'd be waiting for us at noon to take us to that feast at Salamandastron. And when Father says noon, what he means is noon." She was twitching with impatience as she tossed him an apple. "Here. Eat while we walk."  
  
Dandin was busy trying to stuff his blanket into the haversack. He caught the apple neatly, holding it in his mouth as he strapped the large pack to his back. He mumbled something to Mariel, who was still waiting furiously.  
  
"Ekshted foo shee ur faver ater ll sheeze munfs?"  
  
"Take the apple out of your mouth, chew, swallow, and tell me again."  
  
Dandin obeyed. "I said, are you excited to see your father again after all these months?"  
  
Mariel grinned and nodded. "Aye, and the Periwinkle. And Bowly to. I haven't heard from him in at least a season. He'll have grown quite a bit."  
  
Dandin nodded in agreement. "We've been through a lot since then."  
  
"Aye. Remember when we were ambushed by those lizards in the south swamps?"  
  
Dandin laughed. "Of course I remember, especially when I came back from foraging and found you tied to a tree!"  
  
"Never mind," Mariel said hastily. "Remember those cannibal weasels on the shore of north Mossflower?"  
  
"Ha! Of course! Good fun, wasn't it?"  
  
The two mice started off briskly down the road, reminiscing about past adventures and comrades. The munched bread and fruit as they walked, enjoying the scenery about them. The road twisted through beautiful lush green forests, branches laden with blossoms, their fragrance permeating the air. It was the beginning of summer, and it seemed that every bird in the forest was celebrating the sunshine. Song rang from treetop to treetop, the pure notes weaving their way among the branches. Sunlight filtered through the leaves to dapple the path with shadow, and a warm breeze flitted through to stir the foliage.  
  
Mariel tilted her head and dreamily gazed up at the blue sky. She walked that way for the better part of an hour, admiring the beautiful morning, until Dandin tapped her shoulder with a paw, his voice tinged with excitement. "The trees are getting thinner, and look, there's the hill. When we get to the top of it, we'll be able to see the ocean."  
  
The mousemaid snapped out of her reverie at once, the thought of seeing her father again driving all musings of scenery from her head. "Come on! I'll race you to the top of the hill!"  
  
~~~  
  
Joseph the Bellmaker leaned against the railing of the ship Restless Wind, drumming his paws as he did when he was nervous, a slight frown on his face. He gazed out at the dunes, busy with his own worrying thoughts. He did not at first notice the hedgehog who came to stand beside him, gazing up at him with concern.  
  
"Worryin' about it won't do no good, sir. We can't afford to go back an' maybe lose valuable crewbeasts in a hopeless battle. I know you loved that ship, but what's gone is gone."  
  
"I can't stop thinking there might have been something more I could have done. And what will Mariel think when she comes and finds out I've lost Periwinkle to a load of mangy vermin? She grew up on that ship."  
  
"Well, you'll soon find out sir. If I'm not mistaken, that'd be Mariel just clearin' the hill."  
  
Joseph straightened and shaded his eyes, squinting at the hilltop. He was not within shouting range, but he waved at the little figure running towards the ship. Mariel, seeing him, waved a paw in response and ran all the harder. She was nearing the shore now, and Joseph dashed to the gangplank, leaping down with agility surprising for one of his age. They met at the tide line. Mariel threw her paws around her father's neck, laughing happily. Then, looking over his shoulder she straightened, frowning slightly.  
  
"Father? Isn't that Captain Ash's ship Restless Wind? Where's Periwinkle?"  
  
"Captain Ash? Who's that?" asked Dandin.  
  
"An old friend of Father's," Mariel told him. "Father? What's going on?"  
  
Joseph had a tense look to his jaw. "Later. Not now." Then he deliberately relaxed, smiling down on her. "Look how grown up you look! When did you get so beautiful and strong?"  
  
Mariel realized her father was changing the subject, but decided against pursuing the matter. "I've always been a paragon of loveliness, you've just never noticed." Then, grinning mischeviously: "You're looking remarkably well preserved yourself, my aged Father."  
  
"Still as impertinent as ever, I see. Where's your respect for your elders, Daughter? You're not to big to be spanked, you know!" He turned to Dandin, clapping the youth on the shoulder. "'Tis wonderful to see you, Dandin my lad. Has my daughter behaved herself fairly well?"  
  
Dandin shook his head ruefully. "She keeps me run off my feet, the mischievous little Dibbun. " He ducked Mariel's swinging fist expertly and came up laughing. "You see, we keep each other on our toes. "  
  
Joseph, laughing again, took them both by the shoulders and led them up the gangplank onto the ship. "Bowly's below deck waiting for us; he's very eager to see you. You two will want to get cleaned up, and then we'll meet Captain Ash for lunch."  
  
~~~  
  
Sankara pushed the food around on the delicate china plate set before her. The meal was well cooked and undoubtedly tasty, but she had no appetite for it.  
  
She leaned back in her chair, fist clenched and teeth gritted, trying to control the rage that boiled up inside her, finally exploding as she picked up the dish of food and hurled it against the wall, spattering food across the expensive tapestries on the wall. The crash of the plate shattering echoed through her head, and she screamed silently.  
  
The spies would be executed, of course, the moment they docked. The thought of revenge was sweet enough to calm Sankara slightly. But there was still the fact that they had failed. The mousemaid had received that last letter. Those soldiers would pay dearly for every word that message had contained.  
  
Sankara had not slept since the runner came to tell her that the last messenger bird had not been killed. Every time she closed her eyes, the words of the rune hovered behind her eyes, singing in her brain.  
  
She rubbed at her temples, pressing at them as if trying to crush the voice that whispered sibilantly somewhere inside her head.  
  
All is lost…the mousemaid will come…  
  
She covered her ears, shook her head, trying to rid herself of the hissing voice. No! she cried. There is still time!  
  
The curse…the curse…  
  
~~~  
  
Mariel and Dandin walked with Joseph across the clean, weathered deck of the Restless Wind. "I still can't believe that little reprobate of a hog Bowly managed to charm you into giving him a position on the Periwinkle," grinned Dandin. "He was only, what, twelve perhaps when we brought him to you."  
  
Joseph looked rather startled. "Position on the Periwinkle? He's done far better than that, didn't he write and tell you? He's been first mate to Captain Ash on this very ship for the last half a season."  
  
Mariel's jaw dropped. "Bowly? A first mate? I can scarcely believe it!"  
  
"He wears his responsibility well, actually. He's quite the officer, you'll find. And very proud of himself, to."  
  
"Well, I think he has a right to be." Dandin poked Mariel. "I always said he'd go far. But did you take my word for it, oh no, you knew best…"  
  
"Quiet, rapscallion. He was only an average swordsman, and never any use at all with a gullwhacker," Mariel sniffed.  
  
Dandin guffawed. "Of course not. His only opponent was you, and you're the inventor of the thing! It's scarcely fair to expect the beginner to be able to match the master!"  
  
"Sour grapes, Dandin. You were never any good at it yourself!"  
  
Now it was Dandin's turn to swing a playful fist at Mariel. She to ducked it easily, and straightened to tweak his ear.  
  
"Now, children, no fighting. Put on a good face for Bowly," chuckled Joseph.  
  
They entered the stateroom, a small but elegant space, with a thick red carpet on the floor and a dark, polished wood table with chairs to match.  
  
Somebeast was seated in one such chair, and Joseph called out to him. "Bowly. Guests!"  
  
The tall, jauntily dressed young hedgehog sprang up to face them, smiling cheerfully. He hugged Mariel and Dandin warmly. "The homecomin' warriors! Where've you bin keepin' yorselves? There's a whoop-bang at Salamandastron tomorrow, I hear. Sorry we couldn't escort you in Periwinkle. Pity about those mangy vermin gettin' her, ain't it? Buckets full of 'em there was!"  
  
"Vermin? What? Father, what's this about?" Mariel asked, her happiness at seeing her protégé dropping away.  
  
"Bowly," sighed Joseph wearily.  
  
"Sorry sir! I thought you'd've told 'em!"  
  
"Told us what?" insisted Mariel.  
  
Joseph took a deep breath. "Periwinkle was stolen by a boatful of weasels, rats and stoats about five weeks back. A few of the crew, including Bowly and myself, managed to escape on a life raft. I enlisted the help of my old friend Captain Ash to get us here so we could take you to Salamandastron," said Joseph shortly. There was an awkward silence, and Joseph turned sadly to Mariel. "I'm sorry, my daughter. I know how you loved the ship. There was nothing we could do."  
  
Mariel sank slowly in to a chair and put her head in her paws. " It's all right," she mumbled. "I understand."  
  
Dandin flung a paw around her. "I say, what's with the sniffling? We'll just trot over there after our little dinner party at Salamandastron and fetch the old girl back, hmm?"  
  
"Dandin, there's no way we'd survive, much less succeed. Nobeast just goes about stealing ships, so the vermin who attacked Periwinkle must have belonged to a horde. We can't just waltz in to their hideout and say 'We'd like our boat back, if you'd be so kind.' It's impossible."  
  
"Mariel, you've spent a bit to much time in the sun today. Your brains are getting addled. You seem to have forgotten just how many impossible things we've accomplished over the seasons. Obviously we'll get Periwinkle back. Unless," said Dandin teasingly, "you've an appointment more pressing?"  
  
Mariel lifted her head and gave Dandin a smile. "Thank you, Dandin. I'm acting like a frog at a funeral. Of course we'll get her back."  
  
"Good girl," said Dandin, patting her head paternally. "In that case, I suggest we get cleaned up and meet back here in half an hour for a spot of lunch."  
  
~~~  
  
Captain Ash was as formal as ever, neatly dressed, his gray streaked fur impeccably combed, manners elegantly polished. He shook paws with Dandin and bowed politely to Mariel, saying to Joseph, "I don't believe I've met the young lady."  
  
"Yes you have, Fredrick. Don't you remember my daughter Mariel?"  
  
"Mariel? Not the little maid who pestered me with questions 'till I was near out of my mind, bullied the crewbeasts until they agreed to teach her dagger fighting and navigation, and clambered about on the rigging, scaring her poor papa half to death?"  
  
"The very same," Mariel told him, smiling. "Don't worry, I don't climb riggings any more. Well," she amended, "at least not quite so haphazardly as I used to."  
  
"Arguable," said Dandin slyly.  
  
Laughing at Mariel's furious protestations, they settled down at the table, upon which a beautiful lunch was spread. They all helped themselves to summer salad, white autumn cheese, vegetable pasties and pear cordial.  
  
"So," said Captain Ash when they had all served themselves. "There is to be a feast at Salamandastron."  
  
"Yes, sir. Saxtus got a letter from Lord Rawnbade saying that he was inviting all the leaders from various tribes, kingdoms, etc. from Mossflower Country and many miles around. Something about forming alliances and strengthening bonds and all of that."  
  
"Saxtus hates these political sorts of things, and he knew of course that Dandin would enjoy any chance to stuff his face full of good food, so we were delegated, as Redwall's joint Champions, to go instead," Mariel put in.  
  
"Me, stuff myself?! I eat like a bird!"  
  
"Well, yes; considering most birds eat half their weight every day, I would have to admit you do eat like a bird."  
  
Dandin sneered at her.  
  
"Mariel, I'm surprised you two can still stand the sight of each other the way you trade insults. You should have more respect for Dandin's feelings, child," admonished Joseph.  
  
"Oh, that's all right, sir," said Dandin cheerfully. "We insult each other terribly every other sentence, and sometimes we get one another so mortally offended that we vow never to speak to each other for the rest of our lives, but we're always good friends again after a quarter of an hour or so. We're both warriors by trade and by heart, sir, as you know, and it's not in our temperament to be overly patient with one another. We'd be bored out of our wits if we had no one to fight with."  
  
"Speak for yourself, goose. I could get along quite well without you," humphed Mariel, good-naturedly but with just a touch of stiffness in her manner.  
  
"Oh, no you couldn't. You'd be miserable without somebody to clout over the head every few minutes," said Dandin, looking oddly at Mariel across a bowl of salad.  
  
"He knows you far too well, Daughter," chuckled Joseph.  
  
"That's what he thinks," said Mariel. There was more than a touch of stiffness now.  
  
Bowly leaned over to Joseph and murmured something quietly in his ear. Joseph's face went a little blank.  
  
"Wha…"  
  
"Well now," said Bowly loudly, cutting the Bellmaker off. "Would anybeast care to taste some of this here cordial? Delicious, I must say. We picked it up a month ago from the shrews, I recommends it most highly."  
  
"Yes, thank you Bowly, I'll have some," said Mariel, obviously quite glad to have the subject changed. She was flushing hotly.  
  
She took a sip of the cordial. It was indeed delicious, sweet and cold and fruity. Something else was on her mind, though, something her Father had mentioned earlier…  
  
"Bowly."  
  
"Aye, Mistress Mariel?" he said, grinning at his young former teacher.  
  
"Father told us about your getting the position of first mate with Captain Ash."  
  
Bowly looked modest. 'Ah, well, 'twas naught, really, just a bit of good luck…"  
  
"No, that's not what I meant, I'm very proud of you, of course. But why didn't you write and tell us about it when you first signed on?"  
  
A slight frown crossed the young hedgehog's spiny face. "Ye mean ye never got it?"  
  
"Got what?"  
  
"The letter I wrote ye. I sent it ages ago, to tell ye all about my new post."  
  
Bowly's frown was now duplicated on the faces of both Mariel and Dandin.  
  
"Yes, actually, speaking of letters," said Joseph Bellmaker, "I sent several as well, I was rather hurt when neither of you responded." His pleasant old face crinkled in a smile. "To busy defending the innocent and conquering oppressors even to write?"  
  
"Well, we never got any messages," said Mariel.  
  
"No, never," put in Dandin. 'Except for that very last one telling us that you had heard about the feast at Salamandastron, and would take us there on Periwinkle." He paused, then offered, "We've been on the move for most of the past season. Perhaps we kept just ahead of all of the messages?"  
  
Joseph shook his grizzled head. "No; we hadn't the slightest idea of where to send any letters, so we just directed them to Redwall in the hopes that you would drop by."  
  
"We did, several times," said Mariel. "But there never were  
  
any messages, except, of course, that last one."  
  
"But you didn't receive ours either?" asked Dandin.  
  
"Not a one."  
  
"How odd."  
  
"Who did you send?" questioned Mariel. "Are you sure they were trustworthy?'  
  
"Perfectly sure. We sent our messenger pigeons, and they were impeccably trained, I can assure you," Captain Ash told her.  
  
"And they never came back?"  
  
"None of them did. We did wonder why, of course, but we thought perhaps you had kept them with you."  
  
"Perhaps all of them got sick, or wounded on the journey?" offered Dandin.  
  
" 'Tis the only possible explanation, and even that seems odd. They were the picture of health when they left the ship. The second mate set rather a store by them, and they were always very well kept."  
  
"Well then, it must be there's a creature with a pow'rful antipathy fer sparrows lurkin' in Mossflower Woods an' shootin' 'em all down," snickered Bowly, licking his spoon. "Not meanin' any disrespect to ye gentlefolk, but I think yore makin' a mountain out of a molehill. Them sparrows jist got lost, or tired, or sick, or somethin'. Meanwhiles, it's a beautiful day, on a beautiful sea, in a beautiful ship, an' we're eatin' a beautiful lunch. What more can a beast ask for?" Bowly was about to transfer a third pastie from the platter to his plate, when Dandin reached over and slapped his paw.  
  
"Aye, it is a beautiful lunch. How about leaving some for the rest of us?"  
  
Though Joseph laughed along with the rest, he could not help but feel uneasy. The rhyme his beloved wife Jade, Mariel's mother, had whispered to him as she lay dying came back to him, and bits and snatches of stories he had heard told by those among the former Periwinkle's crew about the Northern coast… Could it be that… no, he was a fool even to think of that. The Bellmaker shifted in his seat and turned his mind to enjoying the company of his daughter and his friends.  
  
~~~ 


End file.
